Tanker for liquified and/or compressed gas

Apparatus for storing liquified gas in combination with a transport carrier, said apparatus comprising a cargo tank being generally curvilinear in cross section and adapted to contain liquified gas, said tank being a pressure vessel for containing said gas under at least atmospheric pressure, and means for supporting said tank on said carrier, said supporting [meanS] means being integrally connected at one end to said carrier and integrally connected in tangential relation at its other end along a peripheral portion of said tank, to thermally isolate said tank from said carrier, and separate means for maintaining a low temperature condition within said tank to maintain said gas in its liquid phase, whereby changes in the dimensional characteristics of said tank due to temperature changes in [sand] said tank are permitted independently of said carrier.

Apparatus for storing liquified gas in combination with a tank on board a marine vessel having a hull structure, said tank being generally curvilinear in cross-section, said apparatus comprising skirt means operably interconnecting said tank and said hull structure for supporting said tank on said structure, said skirt extending tangentially to said tank and having one end thereof integrally connected to said hull structure and the other end thereof integrally connected to said tank along a peripheral portion thereof, separate means for maintaining a low temperature condition within said tank to maintain said gas in its liquid phase, and thermal insulation at least on the outer side of said skirt with respect to said tank extending at least from the point of juncture of said skirt with said tank to a predetermined distance below the point of juncture of said skirt with the tank thereby to control the temperature gradient and thermal stresses produced in said skirt.

Apparatus for storing liquified gas in combination with a marine vessel, said apparatus comprising a tank being generally curvilinear in cross-section and adapted to contain liquified gas, said tank being a pressure vessel for containing said gas under at least atmospheric pressure, and means for supporting said tank on said vessel, said supporting means including an annular skirt for thermally isolating said tank from said vessel, said skirt having upper and lower ends, with said lower end being integrally connected to said vessel and said upper end being integrally connected in tangential relation along a peripheral portion of said tank, separate means for maintaining a low temperature condition within said tank to maintain said gas in its liquid phase, and thermal insulation surrounding said skirt on at least the outer side thereof with respect to said tank and extending from the point of juncture of said skirt with said tank to a predetermined distance below the point of juncture of said skirt with the tank thereby to control the temperature gradient and thermal stresses produced in said skirt, whereby changes in the dimensional characteristics of said tank due to temperature changes in said tank are permitted independently of said vessel.